The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-10-06
LEGENDS OF FISH.
Popular SuperSt;tionS Prevailing In Vari0ul
Portions OF the Globe.

POrui3r SuperSt.rsOn< Prevailing n NaCioui
Portions OF the Globe.
The Japanese have a legend that fish
are the embodiment of the souls OF
naval officers, and the African negroes
believe that magicians assume the
shape of fish and come 10 their nets to
work evil.
An amusing story is told Of the
skate. 1t seems that. in years gone by.
when the fish assembled to select for
themselves king, the skate was be-
hind, and his mouth is now one sided
from his not being chosen king.
According 10 Il popular notion once
credited, the p,aicc was produced from
small crustacean animal of the shrimp
Bind. But Vulgar error has been
explained by the fact that the ovv is de-
posted in localities frequented by
shrimps.
There was an old Highland tradition
that the herrin~s quilted the coasts
where blood had been shed, and it
seems that this notion was revived after
the battle Of Copenhagen. when it
was said that they had deserted the
Baltic on account OF the noise of the
guns"
\ story is related OF St. Coreutin. of
Brittany. that every morning little fish
was seen in = fountain near the hermit
age The saint caught it, cut off
sufic' ent quantity for his repast. then
threw the rest in the water. when the
fish became whole again. and on the
following morning was ready for
another quartering.
"An Author writes Miss Phipson,
in her animal Lore of Shakspere's
Time, " actually aftirns that the whale
was designed by Providence for the,
special purpose of. at certain seasons
Of the year, frightening the herring
away from its native shores into those
regions where it would be obtainable
with greater ease by man.
A popular nickname for The Dream in
Cornwall is ''cholc-children." The story
runs that one day St. Leven was fish
ing, when he caught two OF these fish
oH one hook three times in succession.
He took them home to his sister, bat
the result was unfortunate. for 'the-
fish were cooked and, the children be-
ING hungry, were choked By eating the
homes
I'm Normandy" writes HOare. in
his ''Giraldus," "a few days before the
death of Henry H.. the fish of certain
pool fought so fUriously with each other
that the neighboring people were at
tracted to the spot by the noise. So
desperate was the conflict that scarce
ly 4 fish was found alive in the morn
ing, thus by a wonderful prognostic
foreteling the death of one by that of
many
The fishermen in Scotland declare
that the salmon's tail is pOinted s.since
LOki became Il salmon, and was caught
by that appendage while slipping
through 4 net set for him by the gods"
Curious to say, in some parts of Scot
land the salmon is held in great
aversion. its name not even being men
toned. Thus, in certain districts, it is
known rs the 80 and SOS fish, and in
others as the beast.
The pike is an important fish in folk
legends. In Russian fairy-tales the
pike is Il form assumed by the devil in
order to eat the young hero, who has
become little perch. Some old natu-
,alists have accounted for the sudden
and mysterious appearance of the pike
IN ponds far from other water by the
theory that they were produced dy the
heat of the sun from weed known IS
A curious legend is related by an
Eastern traveller vino, describing river
which flows from the Caucasus into the.
Black Sea, says: Every year there
arrives in this part of the river great
quantity of fish. The people cut Off
he flesh on one side of them, eat it,
and let the fish 90. The next year the
ish return again and offer the other
side. which they had preserved IN
ouched. 1t is then discovered that,
new flesh has replaced the old"
The oyster is the subject of many
strange legends, and as far back rs the
he time of Pliny was supposed to be
Produced by the dew. In his Natural
History" he thus describes the origin of
he pearl oyster: 1T is engendered
~ the dews of heaven falling in the
'pen shells at the breeding time. The
quality of the pearl varies according to
he amount of dew imbibed, being
ustrous if that were pure and dull if it
we're foul. Cloudy weather spells it's
olor, lightning stoppeth the growth,
md thunder maketh the shelllish I'M
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